Upper Union Street
A charming Schenectady commercial strip masquerading as a neighborhood — good local base with easy Albany access.
Upper Union Street shops with awnings and residential brick homes
Why people stay in Upper Union Street
Upper Union Street sits in Schenectady, about 25 minutes northwest of downtown Albany, running through the residential GE Realty Plot and the streetcar-suburb blocks between Union College and downtown Schenectady. The commercial strip along Union between Van Vranken and Nott Terrace has independent bookstores, cafes, gift shops, and a farmers market feel. On a Saturday morning it's the most pleasant few blocks in the whole Capital Region.
This works as a base if you're doing both Albany museums and Schenectady's own attractions (Proctors Theatre, miSci, the GE campus history walks). You'll drive to Albany about half the time you're there — plan on a 25-minute commute each way. Skip if your whole trip is Albany-focused; the drive back and forth adds up over three or four days.
By 9pm the shops on Union are shuttered and the strip goes quiet fast — this is a neighborhood that runs on breakfast and lunch trade, not nightlife. A couple of bars near Nott Terrace stay open later, but if you want a proper evening scene you're better off in downtown Schenectady around Jay Street or across the river in Albany itself. That tradeoff is the honest deal with staying up here.
Families and anyone doing a slower, more residential kind of trip suit this area best — the sidewalks are wide, the houses in the GE Realty Plot are worth gawking at, and everything on the strip is walkable. Solo travelers chasing a lively bar scene or younger visitors wanting late-night options should book closer to downtown Albany or downtown Schenectady instead.
The reliable choices near this strip are the Hampton Inn Schenectady Downtown and the DoubleTree by Hilton Schenectady Downtown, both running $110-165 a night in high season (June through October) and dropping to $90-130 in the winter months. The Homewood Suites By Hilton Schenectady is a solid pick for longer stays, with kitchenettes and suites in a similar price band. A handful of B&Bs in the GE Realty Plot (Rugby Road, Nott Terrace) run $130-180 and are genuinely charming, though they book up fast on Union College graduation weekends. Avoid anything advertised as "Schenectady" that's actually on lower State Street south of the Amtrak station — that's a different, less appealing part of town. For most travelers, book the Hampton Inn Schenectady Downtown and walk the rest.
Things to do in Upper Union Street
432 State Street, Schenectady. Restored 1926 vaudeville palace, now hosts Broadway tours, concerts, festivals. Tickets vary widely — often $40-80 for touring musicals. Historic building tours free on Saturdays at 11am, meeting at the State Street lobby doors.
15 Nott Terrace Heights. Excellent for kids 6-14, planetarium shows included with admission. $12 adults, $10 kids, closed Mondays. Plan on 2-3 hours, and arrive by 1pm if you want a planetarium seat.
807 Union Street. One of the oldest planned college campuses in America, designed 1813 by Joseph-Jacques Ramée. Free to walk, the Nott Memorial (sixteen-sided domed building) is worth ten minutes of your time; open most weekday afternoons.
Jay Street pedestrian mall, Sundays 10am-2pm May through October, indoors at Proctors Theatre November through April. Best small-city farmers market in the region, with $5-8 lunch stalls and local produce vendors.
Bounded roughly by Rugby Road, Wendell Avenue and Lenox Road. Free self-guided walk past early-1900s architect-designed homes built for General Electric executives; no set hours, best light in late afternoon, allow 45 minutes.
Union Street at Front Street, a 10-minute walk from Upper Union. One of the oldest continuously inhabited neighborhoods in the country, with free historic plaques on nearly every house; allow an hour to wander.
What to see
Hotels in Upper Union Street
No hotels are listed in Upper Union Street yet. The nearest ones are on the region page.
Every hotel we cover in Upper Union Street
- The Landing Hotel at Rivers Casino & Resort 4★ · 4.2/5
Getting around Upper Union Street
From Albany International Airport, drive 20 minutes via I-87 and Route 5. From Amtrak, Schenectady has its own station (Erie Boulevard) — the train from Albany-Rensselaer takes 25 minutes and runs several times daily, and it's a 15-minute walk or $8-10 cab ride from the station up to Upper Union. To get to downtown Albany from Upper Union, drive I-90 (25 minutes) or take CDTA Route 905 bus (45 minutes, fare $1.50). Once you're on Upper Union itself, everything on the strip and into the GE Realty Plot is walkable, and free street parking is plentiful outside of Union College move-in weekends.
Questions about Upper Union Street
About 25 minutes by car via I-90, or 25 minutes by Amtrak between the two stations. Plan accordingly if your trip is mostly Albany-focused.
The commercial stretch is a pleasant 15-block walk with cafes and shops. The surrounding residential neighborhoods are also walkable and safe. It's the most walkable pocket of Schenectady.
Yes — Proctors is about a 10-minute drive or a 25-minute walk from the Upper Union strip, and several of the Schenectady hotels near this area, like the Hampton Inn Schenectady Downtown, are even closer. If you're going to a late show, driving or a short cab ride beats the walk back after dark.
You'll want one if Albany's museums and attractions are part of the trip, since the drive is 25 minutes each way and the CDTA bus takes nearly twice that. If you're only exploring Schenectady itself — Proctors, miSci, the Stockade, Union College — you can manage comfortably on foot without a car.
